How to determine when an antidepressant is working?

Your sx improve: There should be a list of target symptoms that improve, mood, motivation, sleep, anxiety, obsessing, dwelling, enjoyment, functioning, appetite among others. The problem often is the medication can be helping half a dozen symptoms but the patient only focuses on one which didn't improve and think the med is not working. This calls for dose increase, augmentation instead of switching or just more time.